Switch



NOV. 1, 1932. p R FORMAN 1,885,904

SWITCH Original Filed Jan. 29, 1931 4 Sheets-5heet 1 NVENTOR Par 5 R, Fa

BY s ATTORNEYS. g lb Nov. 1, 1932. P. R. FORMAN SWITCH 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Original Filed Jan. 29, 1931 INVENTOR l wvs R.far'ma BY his ATTORNEYfi.9 42 l P. R. FORMAN SWITCH Nov. 1, 1932.

4 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed Jan. 29, 1931 INVENTOR Fb 'i R Far-man BYhis ATTORNEYS, LQJ7 NOV. 1, 1932. P R FORMAN 1,885,904

SWITCH Original Filed Jan. 29, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR fair/5 -Frman ATT RN EIY5- Patented Nov. 1, 1932 lTED STATES FATE @FFEQE PARIS R.FORMAN, F RAHWAY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL PNEUMATIC COLMPANY,OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VJESIL" VIRGfiNIA Originalapplication filed January 29, 1931, Serial No. 511,952. Divided and thisapplication filed July 24,

This invention relates to improvements in switch structures as will bedescribed in detail below.

The switch of this invention is particularly adapted for use with, butis not necessarily limited to use with, a system such as disclosed in mycopendingz; application Serial No. 511,952 filed January 29, 1931, Paent No. 1,874,483, issued August 30, 1932, for Door operating mechanism,of which this application is a divisional application.

Que of the objects of this invention is to provide a switch mechanismwhich is partially controlled by means of a key.

A still further object of this invention is the provision oi a switchwhich may be operated manually in one direction when released by a keyto a position at which it remains. The switch may be manually operatedfrom that position to a second position from which it automaticallyreturns to a third position when released. The switch may be operatedfrom the third position to the second position without the use of a key.

These and many other objects as will appear from the followingdisclosure are attained by means of this invention.

. his invention resides substantially in the combination, construction,arrangement and relative location of parts. all as will be described ingreater detail below.

Referring to the drawings;

Figure l is a front outside elevational view of the switch of thisinvention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of the switch with thecover removed and a portion thereof broken away;

F 4 is an enlarged detailed elevational view:

F 5 is a developed view of the contact on the drum of the switch;

Fi e 6 an exploded perspective view of the details the locking and actuating mechanism including the switch drum operated thereby Fig. 7 isa detailed front elevational View of a portion of the mechanism showingthe Serial operating key and its action on the parts operated thereby;

Fig. 8 is a view of a suitable key for unlocking the switch.

This invention will be described in detail in connection with thedrawings from which its nature and operation will best be understood. Asshown in Figs. 1 and 2 the switch comprises a base-plate 11 over whichfits a cover 1 having a raised central portion 2 to provide a housingfor the parts. This raised portion 2 is provided with a project-- inghood 3 in which are located buttons 4 and 5 for operating switcheswithin the casinp'. At 6 is a removable plate which is provided with akeyhole 7. This plate forms part of the cover portion 2. Screws 8 areprovided for securing the cover 1 to the base plate 11. Screws 9 areprovided for mounting the complete structure on any suitable support. 10represents the handle by means of which the switch mechanism is operatedin part, or in a counter-clockwise direction.

l'le'l'erring' to Fig. 2 it is noted that the id J tion 2 of the coveris provided bosses 10 in The boss is .uttons are so formed in whichsprings 1;; depression of to t n'ievement with contact strips 12. r-itis a a the pu as to provide recesses ...ing material 14. .0 thisinsulating block in spaced n are the contacts 13 arranged in alignmentwitn tcontact strip The switches trolled by both push buttons 4 and 5are the same in construction. .Vhen cit-l or push. button depressed itsspri is compres ed :j" contact s rip c trolled thereby moved to bridpcsiaon with respect fixed contacts 13 to complete circuits ll '1,secured. to t base-plate by means or" screws 17. The e of bracket 16 UL.pcd member 18. fie bracket are l 19 which h ve is provided with a v toeach two right angled parallel walls of insulating material 20. Securedon the right-hand block 19 (see Fig. 3 in connection with 2) are threecontact fingers 21, 22 and 23. These contact fingers, as well as thecorresponding cont-act lingers 34, 35 and are 7 arranged so as to pivotupon the metal strips secured to the insulating blocks. The

spring fingers are held in position by means of pins 24 secured in themetal bars 25 and projecting through the s )ring fingers. Compressionsprin s encircle these pins and engage the spring fingers to permittheir swinging outward about their pivot points under the resilientreaction of the springs.

1 At 26 is a shaft which is journaled in the base-plate at one end andwhich is provided at the other end with a disc 33 rotatably supported inthe ring 18. Mounted on shaft 2( for rotation therewith is a drum ofinsulating material 27 upon which supported a contact plate 28. Theshape of the contact plate is shown in Fig. 5 in development, althoughwhen applied to the drum it assumes a curved form. Secured to shaft 26for rotation therewith is a short arm 29 which mounted so that in itsmovement it engages with the Vertically slidable rod 3Q. This slidablysupported in hearing 31 a hole in the bar 17. This rod encircled aspring 32 which lies against her 1'? and collar 31 which is secure torod 30. Thus, when arm 29 engages rod and pushes it upwardly, it does soagainst the reaction of spring 32. At 37 is a stop secured to thebaseplate to limit, by its engagemen with arm 29, the clockwise rotationof shaft 2 and drum 27.

Disc 33 is generally circular in outline an is rotatively supportedwithin ring 18. stated above, this disc is secured to the forward end ofshaft 26 and performs, as one function, a support therefor. The shaft issquare and fits into a square central opening in the cisc to effectcontinued This disc is also cut away on the lin s 39, shown.

Secured to the disc is a projecting pin 38 which has a function to bedescribed later. Disc 33 is provided for a limited portion on itsperiphery with a groove 40 which extends completely across itsthickness. A complementary, but slightly longer groove 41 cut in ring18, which groove does not extend all the way through the thickness ofthe ring,as is cle'arfrom the drawings. Within a suitably shaped hole indisc 33, with the axis of the hole parallel to the sides of the disc, ispin 42 which projects beyond the edge 39 and is provided with a head 43.Secured to the periphery of ring 18 is a long spring 44 which is pro*ided at its free end with a pin 45 which projects through ring 1 andcontacts with the rounded end of pin 42. As is clear from Fig. 3, thepin or lug 45, in

e position which spring 44 normally holds projects into the path ofnotch 40 to 11 .nt

th it, the clockwise rotation of disc 33, shaf and drum 27. However,when pin 42 inov d inwardly it forces lug 45 out of the path of notch 40so that disc 33, shaft 26 and drum 2? may be given a clockwise rotation.ll hether or not the lug is in locking position, disc 33 may be givencounter-clockwise rotation.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be seen that the circular plate 6secured to the face of the raised portion 2 of the cover is providedwith a semi-circular integral ring portion which holds the plate 6 inspaced relation with the portion 2 of he cover. The central portion ofdisc 6 projects inwardly, as shown at 53, in conical form. This conicalportion is cut away to provide the keyhole 7. The plate 46, which isformed in tegral with the handle 10, is provided with two arcuateportions 51 and 52 (Fig. 4) which have an external diameter approX1-inately the same as the internal diameter of the opening the casingprojection 2. These arcuate lugs form a centering and rotating surfacefor the arm 10 and its integral plate 46 so that all of these parts maybe revolve The plate 46 is cut away centrally so that the conicalcentral portion 53 of the outer disc 6 projects t-herethrough. The lugs51 and 52 are on a circle indicated by the dotted lines 61 in Fig. Theconical portion 53, which projects through plate 46, terminates alongthe dotted line in Fig. 2. Lug 38 on disc 33 lies between the arcuatelugs 51 and 52 so as to be in their path of movement. Thus when thehandle 10 is moved to the right 4) the righthand end of lug 52 engagesthe pin 38 and causes disc 33, drum 27, and arm 29 to rotate in acounter-clockwise direction against the resistance of spring 32.

The relationship and structure of the op erating parts including thelocking mechanism is clearly shown in Fig. 6.

It should be noted, as is clear from Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, that the arcuatenotch 40 on the surface of disc 33 terminates at one end in a rightangled shoulder 95 which cooperates with the fiat end of pin 45 so as topositive-- ly lock the disc 33 and the parts connected thereto againstclockwise rotation T) when the pin 45 is in normal position. Thus.unless the pin 45 is pushed to the position shown in F 7 by the pin 42,it is impossible to rotate the disc 43 in clockwise direction from theposition shown in Fig. 3. The arcuate notch 40 in the disc 33 isprovided so that the disc and the parts movable therewith may be rotatedin counter-clockwise direction even when pin 45 is in normal positionprojecting through the ring. The arcuate groove 41 in the ring 18 isprovided so that (use 33 can be rotated 1n a clockwlse direction even ifthe pin 42 projecting to the position shown in Fig". 7 under the actionof the key. The pin a2 is only returned to the normal position shown inFig. 3 when the disc moves back to a point where the projecting i2strikes the pin 45. Fig. 7 clearly ows the manner in which the wing 100the key 90 cooperates with the head as of the pip 42.

When a proper key is inserted 111 keyhole 7 and the key is rotatedclockwise the tongue of the key bears against pin t2 and thus forceslock 45 out of the path of disc A further clockwise rotation of the keyrotates disc 33, shaft 26, and drum 27 from their normal. position untilarm 29 (F 2) strikes the stop 37. For purposes of description theposition to which drum 27 has been rotated referred to as the secondposition. he key can then be withdrawn without causing any rotation ofdisc 33. The parts will remain in this second position until returned yapplication of force to handle 10. lVhen force is applied to handle 10its integral lug 52 bears against pin 38 and thus causes disc 33, drum27, and arm 29 to rotate counterclockwise. When this rotation hasproceeded in a counter-clockwise direction to the normal position pin 45under the pressure of spring 44 drops into groove l and disc 33 and thusprevents clockwise rotation of disc 38., drum 27, and arm 29 until aproper k y has again been used. The said counter-clock- F rotation canbe carried further by the a plication of force to handle though suchfurther rotation is yieldingly opposed by rod 30 and spring 32 bearingon arm 29. The full counter-clockwise movement of handle it), disc 83,and drum 27 is reached when arm 29 stopped. by striking bearing 31 whichis integral with the base 11. This position of drun'i 27 and the handle10 is hereinafter referred to the third position of the switch.

The pressure of spring on rod 30 and against arm 29 such as to rotate ina clockwise direction arm 29, drum 27, disc and U0 handle 10 whenpressure is released from handle 10 in il th s rotation is stopped bydisc 33 stri pin .1.5. travel of "0d Q 30 and spring is limited bycclla" mg bearn.

vidcd so that disc 38 is held agains tons keep drum in i o no T untilpin .s forced out of the 33 as above d scribed or until preset. plied toban c 10 in a counter-cl c wise rection. L is apparent that handle 10may used to rotate disc 33 and drum. the no ial position to the thirdposit *ithout of key.

i featuig. of the c, described is that as 1 blocks 19, contact and 36,shaft 26, drum on drum 27 and the disc 33 as well as block 14. andcontacts 13 are carried by base 11, the cover 1 may be removed from theswitch without distorting the connections to the contacts, the alignmentof the shaft 26 and disc 33 in the supporting hearings on the base-plateand in ring 18, the alignment of drum 27 with respect to the contactfingers nor the positions of the drum 27 as determined by stops 37, and31.

The removal of the cover carries with it as a unit assembly the pushbuttons & and 5, the escutcheon plate and the operating handle.

From the above description it will be apparent that this inventionresides in certain principles of construction and operation which may beembodied in other physical forms, and I do not. therefore, desire to bestrictly limited to the disclosure as given for purposes ofillustration, but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

\Vhat I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An article of manufacture as described comprising a supportingcasing, a ringshaped member supported in said casing, a shaft journaledat one end in the casing, a disc mounted on the other end of the shaftand journaled in said ring, a switch drum mounted on said shaft, acontact mounted on the drum. cont-act fingers mounted in said andcooperating with the contact on the drum, resilient means mounted onsaid ring and cooperating with said disc for preventing rotation of thedisc, drum and shaft in one direction, key operated means for moving theresilient means to a position to free the disc, shaft and driu i for opration in one direction. and handle actuated means for op erating thedisc, shaft and drum in the opposite direction independently of theresil ient locking means.

2. An article of manufacture as described comprising a supportingcasing, a ringshaped member supported in said casing, a shaft journaledone end in the casing, a disc mounted on the other end of the shaft andjournaled in said ring, switch drum mounted on said shaft, a contactmounted on the drum, contact fingers mounted in said casing andcooperating with the contact on the drum, resilient means mounted onsaid ring and cooperating with said disc for preventing rotation of thedisc, drum and shaft in one direction, key operated means for moving theresilient means to a position to free the disc, shaft and drum foroperation in one direction, and manually operable means ournaled in saidcasing and cooperatwith said disc for operating the disc, shaft and drumin the opposite direction independently of the resilient means.

8. An article of manufacture described Elli disc mounted on the otherend of shaped member supported in said casing, a shaft journaled at oneend in the casing, a disc mounted on the other end of the shaft andjournaled in said ring, a switch drum mounted on said shaft, a contactmounted on the drum, contact fingers mounted in said casing andco-operating with the contact on the drum, resilient means mounted onsaid ring and cooperating with said disc for preventing rotation of thedisc, drum and shaft in one direction, key operated means for moving theresilient means to a position to free the disc, shaft and drum foroperation in one direction, a lug mounted on said disc, and manuallyoperable means journaled in said casing and co-operating with the lug onsaid disc when operated in one direction to rotate the disc, shaft anddrum in the same direction independently of tee resilient means.

4. An article of manufacture as described comprising a supportingcasing, a ringshaped member supported in said casing, a shaft journaledat one end in the casing, a the shaft and journaled in said ring, aswitch drum mounted on said shaft, a contact mounted on the drum,contact fingers mounted in id casing and co-operating with the contacton the drum, resilient means mounted on said ring and cooperating withsaid disc for prevening rotation of the disc, drum and shaft in onedirection, key operated means for moving the resilient means to aposition to free the disc, shaft and drum for operation in onedirection, handle actuated means for operating the disc, shaft and drumin the opposite direction independently of the resilient locking means,a plurality of circuit terminal means mounted in said casing, and aplurality of manually operable contact membersmounted in said casing forinterconnecting said terminals.

5. A switch structure as described, com prising a support, a ring membersecured to said support, a shaft journaled at one end in said support, adisc secured to the other end of said shaft and journaled in said ring,a switch contact drum mounted on said shaft, a plurality of contactfingers mounted on said support for cooperation with the switch contactdrum, a cover secured to said support for closing all of parts, andmanually operable means journaled in the cover and cooperating with saiddi c for rotating the disc, shaft and drum in one direction.

6. A switch structure as described, comprising a support, a ring membersecured to said support, a shaft journaled at one end in said support, adisc secured to the other end of said shaft and journaled in said ring,a switch contact drum mounted on said shaft, a plurality of contactfingers mounted on said support for cooperation with the switch contactdrum, a cover secured to said support for closing all of said parts,manually operable means journaled in the cover and 00- operating withsaid disc for rotating the disc, shaft and drum in one direction, a lugmovably mounted on said ring and projecting therethrough, said dischaving a peripheral groove into which the lug projects and cooperates toprevent rotation of the disc in one direction, and means mounted on thedisc for forcing the lug out of the groove, said manually operable meanscooperating with said disc to rotate the disc, shaft and drum in theopposite direction when the lug is thus forced out of the groove.

7. A switch structure as described, comprising a support, a shaftjournaled on said support at one end, a bearing member mounted on saidsupport in which the other end of the shaft is journaled, a switch drummounted on said shaft, a plurality of contact fingers cooperating withthe switch drum mounted on said support, means cooperating with saidshaft for preventing its rotation in one direction, a cover for theparts forming with said support a substantially closed casing, manuallyoperable means journaled in said cover and cooperating with said shaftfor rotating the shaft in either direction, the manually operable meansbeing free to rotate the shaft in one direction at any time, and keyoperable means engageable with the means preventing the rotation of theshaft in one direction to free the shaft for rotation by the manuallyoperable means in the opposite direction.

8. A switch structure as described, comprising a supporting plate, ashaft journaled at one end in the plate, a ring-shaped bearing membersecured to the plate, a disc journaled in the ring and mounted on theother end of the shaft, a switch drum mounted on the shelf for rotationtherewith, a plurality of contact fingers mounted for cooperation withthe switch drum, a lever mounted on said shaft, resilient meansengageable by the lever for resiliently resisting the rotation of thedisc, drum and shaft in one direction,

locking means mounted on the ring and cooperating with the disc forpreventing its rotation in one direction, hey operable means mounted onthe disc for moving the locking means to a position to free the disc forrota tion in one direction, a cover forming with said plate asubstantially closed casing, a disc having a handle and a pair ofarcuate shoulders on one face thereof. said shoulders being journaled inthe cover to permit rotation of the disc, and means secured to the discmounted on the shaft and cooperating with the shoulders on the seconddisc whereby the first disc, shaft and drum are rotatable with thesecond disc.

9. A switch structure as described, comprising a substantially closedcasing, a shaft journaled at one end in the casing, an apertured bearingmember in the casing, a disc secured to the other end of the shaft androtatably mounted in the apertured bearing member, manually operablemeans journaled in the casing and cooperating with said disc forrotating tl disc and shaft in either direction, a contact drum mountedon the shaft, a plurality of contact fingers cooperating with thecontact drum, and key operable means co perating with the disc forpreventing rotation of the disc, shaft and. drum in one direction, saiddisc, shaft and drum being releasable for operation in that direction bya key insert-able in the casing.

10. A switch structure as described, comprising a substantially closedcasing, a shaft journaled at one end in the casing, an aperturel bearingmember in the casing, a disc secured to the other end of the shaft androtatably mounted in the apertured bearing member, manually operablemeans journaled in the casing and cooperating with said disc forrotating the disc and shaft in either direction, a contact drum mounted011 the shaft, a plurality of contact fingers 00- operating with thecontact drum, key operable means cooperating with the disc forpreventing rotation of the disc, shaft and drum in one direction, saiddisc, shaft and drum being releasable for operation in that direction bya key insertable in the casing, a lever mounted on said shaft, and aspring control member cooperating with said lever for resilientlyresisting movement of the disc, shaft and drum in the opposite directionand for returning the disc, shaft and drum to normal position.

11. In a switch structure as described, the combination comprising aplurality of contact fingers, a contact drum rotatably supportedadjacent said fingers, locking means for preventing rotation of the drumin one direction, manually operable means for operating the drum ineither direction, resilient means for resisting rotation of the drum inone direction, and for returning it to normal position when freed, thelocking means limiting the rotation of the drum by the resilient means,and key operable means for releasing the locking means so that the drummay be operated in the opposite direction by the manually operablemeans.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 21st day ofJuly, A. D. 1931.

PARIS B. FORMAN.

